The Islamic Forum of Nigeria (IFN) has condemned the security cooperation agreement recently signed between the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government of Israel, describing the move as “ill-timed and morally indefensible.”
In a statement issued in Kano on Tuesday by its Deputy National President, M.T. Gwarzo, the forum said the pact runs contrary to Nigeria’s values, especially given Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.
“At a time when the international community is grappling with the moral and legal implications of Israel’s atrocities, Nigeria’s diplomatic overture to Tel Aviv is not only ill-timed, it is morally indefensible,” the statement read.
The IFN cited ongoing proceedings at the International Court of Justice, where Israel faces accusations of genocide, mass starvation, and systematic torture of Palestinians. It said more than 59,000 people, including thousands of children, have been killed, while humanitarian aid has allegedly been weaponized.
The group also expressed concern that intelligence sharing with Israeli agencies, including Mossad, could lead to surveillance and profiling of Muslim clerics and activists in Nigeria.
Rejecting the notion that Nigeria’s security challenges could be solved through such foreign alliances, Gwarzo stressed that lasting peace depends on strengthening local institutions, inclusive governance, and tackling poverty, corruption, and injustice.
He warned that outsourcing security to a foreign power accused of war crimes could undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty, erode accountability, and deepen dependence on external interests.
